160 LUMINOUS APPEARANCE OF THE SEA. 



under examination : they were consequently specifically heavier than 

 sea water. This fact being ascertained, search was made in the bottom 

 of the glass, and, in a single drop of water taken up by the point of 

 the finger, a bunch of at least 20 of the above mentioned semitrans- 

 parent globules was found adhering together by a very fine membrane. 

 These lay still and could be distinctly seen under the magnifying 

 power of the microscope. I concluded at once that the light given 

 out proceeded from these globules, and that they were the spawn of 

 some very minute inhabitant of the deep, probably of that numerous 

 race of worms, whose spawn adhere to, are hatched, enter into, and 

 devour, the bottoms of such ships as are not defended by copper 

 sheathing. 



We must conclude that there are certain times when these eggs be- 

 come specifically lighter than sea water, in which they rise to the 

 surface, and it is then they give out their phosphoric light. I con- 

 ceive this may take place by means of solar heat, when the embryo 

 has arrived at a certain point ; that one part of each egg is specifi- 

 cally lighter than the other part, (just as we find is the case with a 

 fowl's egg that has undergone incubation) that the light proceeds 

 from the under or heaviest part, because we found it necessary to 

 agitate the water, and consequently to turn the spawn round, before 

 light was given out at all. My microscope is furnished with a 

 micrometor where one 1 6th of a square inch is divided into 625 

 squares, and I noticed that 16 of the eggs or semitransparent globules 

 would cover one square of the micrometer. Consequently, it would 

 require 160,000 of globules to cover a superficial inch, and 64 mil- 

 lions to make a cubic inch ! 



The luminous appearance of the sea continued from sunset to 4 

 o'clock the next morning, when it became very faint : the ship had 

 gone over a space of 40 miles. Now a single drop of water was 

 found to contain 40 globules or eggs : what a prodigious number 

 must have been spread over a track of only 160 geographical miles ! 

 a space very small indeed compared to the Ocean ! 



The water which had been taken up for examination was kept till 

 dark, in order to ascertain whether its shining qualities would be 

 retained ; but although thousands of globules remained at the bottom, 

 no light could be produced, however much the water was agitated. 



SIN BAD. 



